This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from an application entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR POWER MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTER SYSTEM earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on the 10th day of September 1999, and there duly assigned Ser. No. 38664/1999, a copy of which is annexed hereto.
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for power management in a computer, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for indicating power management system (PMS) setting state in a computer system.
2. Related Art
Computer systems are information handling systems that are utilized by many individuals and businesses today. A computer system can be defined as a microcomputer that includes a central processing unit (CPU), a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory such as read only memory (ROM), a display monitor, a keyboard, a mouse or other input device such as a trackball, a floppy diskette drive, a compact disc-read only memory (CD-ROM) drive, a modem, a hard disk storage device, and a printer. A computer system""s main board, which is a printed circuit board known as a motherboard, is used to electrically connect these components together. A computer system can be a desktop computer, a personal computer, a portable computer such as a notebook computer or palmsized computer, or other type of computer.
Computer systems include a basic input output system (BIOS) which is an especially important program stored in read only memory. The basic input output system tests a computer every time the computer is powered on. The basic input output system can allocate a computer system""s resources automatically, making adjustments needed to accommodate new hardware. Also, the basic input output system governs how system board components interact.
When the computer system is powered on, the basic input output system immediately takes is control of the computer system and its components. The first duty of the basic input output system is to perform a series of diagnostic routines called the power on self test (POST) routine, which ensures that every part of the computer system""s hardware is functioning properly.
The Advanced Power Management (APM) specification provides an industry standard for system-wide power management of computers. Drafted by Intel and Microsoft, the standard is operating system-independent. System-wide power management under Advanced Power Management (APM) is accomplished through a cooperative connection between code in the basic input-output system (BIOS) and an operating system driver that enables the operating system to response to Advanced Power Management (APM) events.
Recently, the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) has been jointly proposed by Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif., USA, Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., USA, and Toshiba Corporation of Tokyo, Japan. The Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) is a new advanced power management standard. According to the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface specification, the operating system rather than the basic input-output system (BIOS) controls power management, thermal state, and plug-and-play functionality (wherein enumeration and configuration of motherboard devices is performed by the operating system) of the computer.
I have found that there is a need to enhance power management systems for computers. Efforts have been made to provide improved systems related to power management.
Exemplars of recent efforts include U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,790 for COMPUTER POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM issued to Harper et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,929 for MULTI-STATE POWER MANAGEMENT FOR COMPUTER SYSTEMS issued to Fung, U.S. Pat. No. 5,617,572 for SYSTEM FOR REDUCING POWER CONSUMPTION IN COMPUTERS issued to Pearce et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,394 for ELECTRONIC APPARATUS HAVING A SOFTWARE CONTROLLED POWER Switch issued to Watts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,613 for PORTABLE COMPUTER WITH TIME-SENSITIVE TRI-MODAL POWER MANAGEMENT SWITCH issued to Busch et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,923 for METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A COMPUTER POWER MANAGEMENT FUNCTION INCLUDING SELECTIVE SLEEP STATES issued to Kou, U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,879 for COMPUTER SYSTEM HAVING POWER MANAGEMENT PROCESSOR FOR SWITCHING POWER SUPPLY FROM ONE STATE TO ANOTHER RESPONSIVE TO A CLOSURE OF A SWITCH, A DETECTED RING OR AN EXPIRATION OF A TIMER issued to Crump et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,142 for MULTIFUNCTION POWER SWITCH AND FEEDBACK LED FOR SUSPEND SYSTEMS issued to Crump et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,164 for COMPUTER SYSTEM THERMAL MANAGEMENT issued to Hobson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,613 for POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR A COMPUTER issued to White et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,982 for POWER SWITCH METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING A FAILURE IN THE POWER CONTROLLER issued to Cooper et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,335 for POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DISPLAYING POWER MANAGEMENT INFORMATION IN A COMPUTER issued to Choi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,541 for SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING POWER ON DESKTOP SYSTEMS issued to Sadashivaiah, U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,172 for APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING PMS INFORMATION IN A PORTABLE COMPUTER issued to Seo, U.S. Pat. No. 5,925,134 for METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR POWER Management issued to Solomon, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,121 for CONTROL OF COMPUTER SYSTEM WAKE/SLEEP TRANSITIONS issued to Hobson et al.
While these recent efforts provide advantages, I note that they fail to adequately provide an apparatus and method for efficiently and conveniently controlling and facilitating power management of a computer system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for indicating a power management system (PMS) state in a computer system.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for indicating a power management system (PMS) state in a computer system.
To achieve these objects and others, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer system comprising a basic input-output system (BIOS) memory for storing a power management system (PMS) setting routine, a storage unit for storing a power management system state set by the routine stored in the basic input-output system memory, a light emitting diode (LED) indicator unit for indicating the power management system state, a power switch for generating a switching signal, a microcontroller for controlling the indicate unit in response to the power management system state stored in the storage unit, and for implementing power management functions in response to the switching signal. The storage unit can be a power management system (PMS) state storage unit.
To achieve these objects and others, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power management method of a computer system having a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) memory for storing a power management system state and an indicate unit for indicating the power management system state of the computer system, the method comprises the steps of: detecting the power management system state of the computer system; indicating the power management system state of the computer system through the indicate unit; determining whether a switching signal is inputted or not through a power switch; and executing power management operation corresponding to the power management system state, in response to the switching signal.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a computer apparatus, comprising: a basic input-output system memory for storing a routine for setting a power management system state; a complementary metal oxide semiconductor memory for storing said power management system state set by said routine stored in said basic input-output system memory; an indicating unit for indicating said power management system state; a power switch for generating a switching signal; and a microcomputer for controlling said indicating unit in response to said power management system state stored in said complementary metal oxide semiconductor memory, and for implementing power management functions in response to said switching signal.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a method, comprising: a power management method of a computer system having a complementary metal oxide semiconductor memory for storing a power management system state and having an indicating unit for indicating said power management system state of said computer system, the power management method comprising: detecting said power management system state of said computer system; indicating said power management system state of said computer system through said indicating unit; determining whether a switching signal is generated through a power switch; and executing power management operation corresponding to said power management system state, in response to said switching signal.
To achieve these and other objects in accordance with the principles of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention provides a method, comprising: detecting a power state of a computer; indicating said power state of said computer with an indicating unit;
determining when a switching signal is generated through a power switch; and executing a power management operation corresponding to said power state, in response to said switching signal.